Comments:

Posted on May 17, 2014, updated October 22, 2014
Posted on October 5, 2011, updated May 17, 2014
ordered 5 bags of tulips and some dutch iris.
The bulb size seems normal - the tulips are the very early kind so I expected them to be a little smaller than the larger later ones.On May 17th, 2014, bryana added the following:

I ordered some begonias and gladiolus - very good sized firm bulbs.On October 22nd, 2014, bryana added the following:

I ordered two collections of Hyacinths and they arrived as average sized bulbs, firm and clearly labeled.
They have a slightly smaller size bulb than other catalogs but they are good for forcing in pots because they are still full looking but do not need to be staked. Good value for the collections with no extra charge for shipping.Company representative comment on November 14, 2011:On Nov 14, 2011 3:35 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We are glad to hear that you were happy with the condition of the bulbs upon delivery. And yes some of the early tulips and definitely the miniature tulips are going to be a bit smaller! We hope your spring is wonderful, we just need to get through winter first! May your gardens be bountiful!

I placed a fairly large order for bulbs near the end of the spring growing season. When I received the box from Holland Bulb Farms I received fewer salvias and calla lilies than I had ordered. The reason: HBF ran out of inventory. This is a big problem for me, I had placed the order for a specific quantity and color combination because I have a specific space I am trying to fill. Having fewer items is a big problem. I can no longer fill the space and the color motif no longer flows.

No one from HBF ever attempted to contact me to let me know that they had run out of a number of items!
It should be noted that the items I ordered showed specific and sufficient availability when I ordered them (e.g. "11 bare roots left").

Obviously this is frustrating because now I have plants I cannot use and I could/should have just ordered from another company two weeks ago. Now my window for planting is closing/closed.

I wrote to HBF to request a postage-paid mailing label so that I could send back the bubs I could no longer use. They said they would not do that because they have a written policy on the website to fulfill all orders regardless of how much of the order they can fulfill. This seems like a TERRIBLE policy for a company like this. Who wants half a garden?? Plus, who reads every policy a company has on its website. I should be able to expect HBF to: 1) simply be reasonable and 2) have an accurate handle on its inventory, which is the impression the website provides.

A two-minute phone call from them two weeks ago would have verified that I did not want half an order.

We are sorry to hear your dissatisfaction with our policies in regard to items missing from orders. In an ideal world our inventory of perishable items would be 100% accurate all of the time, we would have a team dedicated to contacting our customers when and and if an item becomes unavailable, and all of our customers who have items that are unavailable would be ready to reply to our phone call or email right away at first contact. Unfortunately those three factors do not happen often, and therefore we have adapted the policy when an item is missing, to simply offer a refund of the items price and include a free shipping coupon. We include this free shipping coupon with no minimum in case the customer wanted to order something else in place of the missing items, we won't charge them for the shipping on the next order, since we did make mistake by having inaccurate inventory.

By refunding the order, we can ship the order quickly within the 3-5 business days after the order was placed. If we call or email a customer and they do not get back to us for whatever reason that could delay their order further while we are waiting to get a hold of them.

In regard to our accurate inventory due to the nature of our products (being that they are perishable goods) sometimes bulbs or perennials go bad and we are no longer comfortable shipping these items to our customers, when this happens it can be sudden or at the bottom of a crate which we are not able to recognize immediately as we are busy shipping orders and tending to other duties. If we do notice a bulb or perennial is no longer in acceptable condition we will certainly adjust our inventory quantities, however as much as we would like to we simply cannot catch every package of every item as it becomes unable to meet our quality standards. At the end of a shipping season, which is when your order was placed this happens much more frequently, as these items are eager to be planted, and have been in our warehouse for a few months. We completely understand your complaints about this policy and hope you can understand the reasoning behind our policy.
In regard to your request of expecting us to simply be reasonable- we feel as though by refunding your credit card for the products we could not supply as opposed to shipping you substituted items of our choosing is a reasonable procedure. When we replied to your first email and informed you that we would refund you for the products you returned, but we could not refund the postage paid for the products. We feel as though offering to refund you for the products is very reasonable considering our Spring planting and shipping season is over, and by accepting the return once we got them back they would not be usable in any way. Also, since we have stated on our website our policy about unavailable items and how we proceed with them, we were making an exception for you, and were trying to compromise.
We would also like to note that we did offer to send you a return shipping label after our first correspondence and hearing your disappointment, but have not heard back from you.
We would like to thank you for bringing this matter about our missing items to our attention, we are looking into adding an option at checkout that allows our customers to check a box, to let us know how to proceed if an item is missing from there order. We hope to be able to implement this feature within the next week to avoid further disappointment from customers who like you would prefer to be contacted, as opposed to having a partial order that was shipped in a timely fashion.

We are very sorry that this situation could not have been resolved sooner or in a better way, we certainly did not intend on making this such an unpleasant experience for you.

Posted on March 23, 2014, updated June 5, 2014
Posted on July 2, 2013, updated March 23, 2014
Posted on May 11, 2013, updated July 2, 2013
Posted on March 26, 2013, updated May 11, 2013
Posted on April 12, 2012, updated March 26, 2013
Posted on April 9, 2012, updated April 12, 2012
Posted on March 31, 2012, updated April 9, 2012
Posted on February 19, 2012, updated March 31, 2012
Posted on May 18, 2011, updated February 20, 2012
A few weeks ago I ordered 120 gladiola bulbs from Holland Bulb Farms ( 4 pkgs of 30 bulbs). The price including shipping was less than $20! The only other glads I have in my garden were a few freebies I'd acquired in years past. The bulbs looked great, and I can hardly wait to see them in bloom.On February 19th, 2012, RebeccaLynn added the following:

The glads from Holland Bulb Farms bloomed beautifully in my 2011 garden and I'm preparing to place an order for summer blooming bulbs for 2012. This has been a mild winter (so far) and I'm interested in seeing how many glads will come back up in my zone 7a garden. On March 31st, 2012, RebeccaLynn added the following:

The glads from last year are coming up! Also, the new order that I placed in late February has arrived, and everything looks good except for the Alstroemeria. These fleshy roots are packed in small plastic bags. The yellow alstroemeria root is very tiny, but it seems to be alive. The plastic bag containing the orange alstroemeria was...EMPTY- just a bag of peat, no plant. I will contact Holland Bulb Farms and request a replacement. Everything else (begonias, RoseTurtlehead, columbine and ranunculus) is planted.On April 9th, 2012, RebeccaLynn added the following:

I called Holland Bulb Farms this morning to report that in my recent order the plastic bag which should have contained an orange alstroemeria arrived empty. The customer service representative said a replacement would be shipped right away. On April 12th, 2012, RebeccaLynn added the following:

Today, April 12, I received the orange alstroemeria that was missing from my recent order from Holland Bulb Farms.
I am very satisfied with their customer service. On March 26th, 2013, RebeccaLynn added the following:

Yesterday I received the bulbs that I ordered in January: tall phlox, double oriental lilies, and calla lilies. The double oriental lily bulbs are especially large and nice. Spring is slow in coming here in the Piedmont of N.C. this year and daytime and nighttime temperatures are abnormally cold, but I plan to plant tomorrow. On May 11th, 2013, RebeccaLynn added the following:

I couldn't resist ordering some double oriental and double asiatic lilies and a glory lily at the very end of April. They arrived very quickly, and I opened the box the same day it arrived. I was surprised to find that the oriental and asiatic bulbs were already sprouting. I planted them at the proper depths the very next day. We left for a beach vacation the day after that. We're back now, and I'm contemplating those bulbs and hoping for the best, even though they were already sprouting when I planted them. I've had very good success with Holland Bulb farms many times in the past. Can't wait to see how these bulbs do this summer!On July 2nd, 2013, RebeccaLynn added the following:

The double oriental lilies - both Magic Star and Broken Heart - are in bloom now, and they are absolutely beautiful! If they are offered next spring, I will buy more.On March 23rd, 2014, RebeccaLynn added the following:

My order of double oriental lily bulbs and begonia tubers have arrived and they are large and healthy. Looking forward to planting them and waiting to see their beautiful blooms in mid summer. I continue to be pleased with Holland Bulb Farms products and service.On June 5th, 2014, RebeccaLynn added the following:

Holland Bulb Farms has their lily bulbs on sale now, so I ordered three pkgs of Double Oriental Lilies (9 bulbs) a few days ago. They arrived today, and I immediately unpacked them and planted them in my perennial garden. I am worried about them because nearly all of them have sprouted big time, and some have even feathered. I have planted sprouting lily bulbs from Holland before with good outcomes, but some of these sprouts were 3 inches or more and fluffy. We'll see what happens. I'm not changing my rating because my experience with this company has been positive in the past.Company representative comment on April 2, 2012:On Nov 14, 2011 3:55 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We know it is a little late to ask, but how did the gladiolus turn out? It sounds like you were very satisfied upon receiving them and we want to be sure that satisfaction continued! If you have pictures we would love to see them. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope we can serve you again in the future!

May your gardens be bountiful,

Holland Bulb Farms Staff

On Apr 2, 2012 7:43 AM, Holland Bulb Farms added:

Hi Rebecca Lynn,

We are happy to hear that the majority of your order arrived in good condition and that your glads from last year are coming up again! We would like to apologize for the lack of plant in the Alstromeria package you received, sometimes when are warehouse crew packs our items, they get moving so fast they may miss a step unfortunately. We will be happy to send replacements for any items you feel are less than satisfactory. Please contact us by email info@hollandbulbfarms.com or phone 1-800-689-2852 and we will be happy to amend this problem with you!

I have been ordering from Holland Bulbs for years. The bulbs always arrive in great condition (especially the lilies). I get beautiful blooms. Shipping is fast and accurate. Customer service is excellent. Holland bulbs is the best source for lily bulbs--much better than more highly priced vendors. Their prices are so reasonable that you can naturalize with Stargazer lilies. Some of the bulk mixed glad bulbs (which are very, very inexpensive) arrived with a touch of blue mold this year but they came up nice and healthy anyway. Holland Bulbs is a great place to get great quality bulbs at very reasonable prices. It's number 1 on my list of on-line vendors.

I am completely in love with this company. I've ordered from them several times, and have been pleased with the overall quality of the bulbs I have received. Barring the very occasional withered bulb, their products are healthy and have thus far managed to make their appearances in my spring garden (and they sure look beautiful)! We just purchased our first home last summer, and out of all the mail-order companies I have purchased from, Holland Bulb Farms is my favorite. They definitely keep me coming back with their sales, specials, and offers for free or discounted shipping, and their prices are right. I've recently purchased a bunch of spring-planted bulbs, some grape vines, and seed packets, and I will be excited to see how these perform! I would highly recommend this company.

They have great prices and amazing variety. In the end of the fall everything becomes so cheap that I am tempted to buy more every year. The plants have been great and I did get replacement (actually credit) for plants that did not make (just some poppies planted last fall). This season they shipped me the wrong order but promptly sent the correct stuff (unfortunately some of my items had been sold out by them). I will keep buying from them.Company representative comment on November 22, 2013:On Nov 22, 2013 9:21 AM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Thank you for your feedback! We are certainly sorry that we made an error on your order, but are very happy that we were able to quickly correct the problem. We are happy to hear that you will continue to order from us, and look forward to working with you in the future! Have a great Winter season:)

Recently I ordered 2 of their Halloween special Boogeyman Bulb Bag, which promised to have at least 250+ bulbs for $50 with free shipping. The order was shipped the next day and the shipment arrived yesterday. Guess what? They sent around 750 bulbs!!! That's like I got an extra order. I got so many tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, muscari, alliums to plant now. I spread all the bulbs out and just gleefully looked at them. All the bulbs seemed healthy and firm. This is a HUGE bargain! I really can't thank them enough. That's why I go online to write them a nice review now.

HBF frequently have sales and I'm always tempted to order every weekend :) Their end-of-season sales with free shipping have particularly the best bargain price compared to any other online companies. I've ordered several times and spent hundreds of dollar at HBF this year (2013) and all the orders have been shipped quickly. The bulbs were in good shape and grew well in the garden. Customer service is also very friendly.

From all this positive experience with HBF so far, this company simply has become my top 3 companies to order from.Company representative comment on November 22, 2013:On Nov 22, 2013 9:20 AM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Thank you for your feedback and kind words! We are happy to be able to offer such good deals on such great bulbs--one more way help fill the earth with beautiful flowers! We feel honored to be in your top 3, as we know there are many other great flower suppliers out there!

This is my first time on this site.
I choose to do this because there are a lot of really good on line pleaces to order from.
I have placed three orders with HBF one last spring first time ever after i placed my order on a Thursday that weekend they were haveing a 50% off sale on all bulbs when i called on Monday and said i saw they had a weekend sale and it ended on Sunday they said not to worry they would honor the sale and the free shipping well how great is that when i got my order wow was i happy the bulbs were packed perfect they sent them when i asked for them i live in Florida have a home out side of Buffalo and that is where i do my best gardening.I collect lilys for a hobby i have quite a number at this point.Anyway i placed another order this spring same great service and another for this fall they have a lily that isn't available from any more then two or three growers.The customer service i have gotten each and every time has been great and being in sales i know the difference so i just want to say HBF is a great place to order from.Thank you HBF.Company representative comment on July 24, 2013:On Jul 24, 2013 3:50 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Thank you for your kind words about out company. Treating customers with respect, kindness and honesty is always what we strive for. Along with that we are always looking for new bulbs and perennials to offer our customers:) We look forward to continuing this relationship with you:)

Posted on September 17, 2007, updated June 19, 2013
I can't rave enough about this company. Great selection and prices, prompt shipping, and their Live Help can't be beat. I placed a large order and was very happy with the quality of all the bulbs. They are definitely getting ALL my spring bulb business in the future. Do not hesitate to order from them! On June 19th, 2013, lilaclily added the following:

I placed an order for their end of season clearance sale - 100 stargazer lily bulbs for a fantastic price. So fantastic that I ordered 2 bags of them!! Honestly, I was expecting... well, end of season quality bulbs. I figured even if 50% of the order was decent, I'd be happy. Not so. I received 26 pounds of huge and healthy lily bulbs, with great roots!! I couldn't believe it!

Had a small problem with the rest of my order and Customer Service was quick to refund that portion since the items were now out of stock.

Now I have a bigger problem... finding the room to plant 200 lily bulbs!!

Be aware, Holland Bulb Farms is just one of many websites that the milwaukee company has. American Meadows, Holland Bulb Company and who knows what other websites belong to the same company, charge the same fee to mail plants, and always ship tiny plants.Company representative comment on April 16, 2013:On Apr 16, 2013 3:52 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Although this you may believe we are associated with other companies such as American Meadows, Holland Bulb Company and others, we are a stand alone company and are not affiliated with any other mail order bulb companies. We are a small family run business, who strives on honesty, integrity and customer satisfaction. We are sorry that you feel our plants are small. While some of our value bag and jumbo pack items may use smaller bulbs, they tend to be very affordable, and we do list all the bulb sizes in our items, so our customers know what they are getting at the time of purchase. If you are concerned about the size of the bulbs you order from us, we suggest ordering top size bulbs, which are available in our smaller quantity packages. If you are unsure if the bulbs you are ordering are top sized you can always call us 1-800-689-2852 or email us info@hollandbulbfarms.com and we will be happy to assist you in purchasing top sized bulbs. If you have concerns or complaints about a past order please contact us and we will be certain to resolve the matter, as we want to make sure you are satisfied. Thank you again, and we are happy we were able to clear up the confusion you had about our company.

I placed an order last year for some cannas & dahlias. One of the dahlias wasn't going to be able to be shipped (grower issue). HollandBulb informed me and allowed me to substitute it with another. One of the original dahlia tubers was rather small, but I took my chances and didn't complain, but not much really happened with that one, but everything else bloomed beautifully. I will definitely order from them again.

I placed an order for the Purple and White Fritillaria Collection,the Frantic for Fritillaria Collection and Beth Evans Corydalis for a total of 123.00 dollars. I received a box with four purple fritillarias and a bag of 6 black tulips.Upon calling the company I found there had been a mixup and my order had probably been sent to someone else. Holland bulbs sent me replacements the same day and the bulbs were large and healthy,the white fritillaria were so huge I had trouble planting them.I did notice that most of the bulbs had begun to send out roots which has me worried, I hope they adapt to growing in the ground.Fritillarias are very finicky and for the money I spent Ihope to see them above ground in the spring. Company representative comment on July 24, 2013:On Jul 24, 2013 3:46 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We are sorry for our error that happened, but glad to hear that we resolved the matter for you! Hope your Fritillaria bloomed well this past Spring for you:)

I ordered the collection of orienpet lilies and a kopper king hardy hibiscus from HollandBulb at the start of the month, and less than 4 weeks later they are here! Very happy with the timing of the shipment compared to what I expected since their fall shipping JUST started. :) I had also emailed them recently to find out when to expect shipment, and they said around the first week of October, so it's earlier than I planned and I'm quite pleased!

Packing of the box was excellent as well - all the bulbs and plant were well bagged with tons of soil around them with low moisture to keep them healthy and safe, and there was basic planting and storage information included which was nice.

The first bag I opened, though, made me VERY unhappy. My hibiscus was TEENY TINY compared to what I received a couple weeks back from Hallson Gardens (about 10 times the size and nice a green!). The stems were all under 3", the two longer ones were nearly all black other than the last 1/2", and the one stem of the THREE STEMS that looked alive was less than 1" long and brown. No growth! All three were skinnier than the inside of a drinking straw, too. The roots were all flexable and not dried out, but the longest root was maybe 8" and dry at the tips (expected the dry tip - and sizes are accurate as I actually measured!). To plant this thing, I would need a hole about 4" deep and 8" wide one way, 1" wide the other! That's IT! The other hibiscus from Hallson? I needed a hole over 24" deep and wide, and it was the same price! I began considering a very negative review...

So I opened the other bags and changed my mind about the company. These lily bulbs are huge! They are all the size of my biggest tulip bulbs, big as many of the daffodils I've planted! Lots of attached roots, and look very very healthy. All 12 look great. Now to see how they grow - I'm very excited about these! I think I'll stick with the company for bulbs only, but not much else unless I find out most plants are much better than this - and if I find what I like elsewhere, I may just do that. We'll see, but these bulbs ARE gorgeous!

I emailed the company about the hibiscus with pictures of it with a 6"ruler next to it to see just how small it is and those black stems... We'll see what happens now! :) I will update then...

I have made a couple orders with Holland Bulb Farm now and have been satisfied! I really want to let other members know that like a couple of the reviewers below, I ordered the end of the season grab bag for 30$. I cannot believe what a good deal it was. While not everything has come up yet, I had to create a whole new bed in my yard for the lillies and gladiolas, buy a dozen + containers for dahlias which all have healthy sprouts three weeks later. I had to give two sacks of dahlias and three sacks of lillies away! (to very happy neighbors and mother) And the extra "surprise" bulbs they put in there make me so happy--three peonies, windflowers, calla lillies, about a dozen extras came in my grabbag. The extras haven't come up yet--but I'm so happy with a yard full of dahlias and lillies and gladiolas for 30$ Seriously, can't be beat. Every gardener I know has been jealous.Company representative comment on July 24, 2013:On Jul 24, 2013 3:44 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Glad to hear you have had great success with our products, especially the end of the season mixed packages! We love being able to provide quality bulbs at great prices--it gives us great joy to bring you great joy!

I've been burned in the past by mail order farms (Gurney's), but can attest to the extremely high quality of bulbs/tubers sold by Holland Bulb Farms. I recently purchased an end of the season pack of 350+ bulbs for $35. I was expecting tiny bulbs and roots that wouldn't mature for years, but everything I received was much bigger than anything I have purchased at my local nursery and home improvement stores. I will buy from them again. Company representative comment on June 29, 2012:On Jun 29, 2012 7:48 AM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We look forward to doing business with you again in the future, and are happy to hear that you were impressed with the quality and size of the bulbs you received. Sounds like you have plenty of bulbs to keep your busy for a while! Have a great growing year!

I want to say that the customer service from this company is excellent. I ordered a shade sampler at the end of the season which was supposed to have 82 bulbs/bare roots in a various assortment. The plants were in excellent condition, the price was awesome but the package contents had a surplus of astilbe and was missing some of the other plants described. I emailed the company, they apologized and sent me what I was missing immediately. I know mistakes can happen but if the company makes it right, it makes me a happy customer and one who will recommend them to others! Good job Holland Bulb!Company representative comment on June 29, 2012:On Jun 29, 2012 7:31 AM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We are happy that we could make this right and you are correct mistakes do happen, but we always strive to do out very best to fix them! We hope you enjoy all the plants you will have to brighten up your shady garden areas! Best gardening wishes to you!

Posted on June 12, 2012, updated June 18, 2012
On June 7, 2012 I placed an on-line order for 25 oxalis ($5.49) 30 purple gladiolus($2.49) and 30 white glads (2.49) the order arrived today June 12, 2012! The purple glad have started to break dormancy but that's fine they went straight into the ground. I'm super pleased with their speed & placed another order today. i can't wait to see what they have in the fall catalog. I'll update after these babies bloom. I'm just tickled to have my shamrocks!On June 18th, 2012, hartzell81 added the following:

I have ordered daffodils, crocus, squill, tuberose begonias, day lilies and freesia from Holland Bulb Farms and everything seems very healthy. The daffodils, crocus and squill all bloomed very nicely this spring and I'm confident that the others will do well this summer.

Posted on April 17, 2012, updated April 19, 2012
I ordered Pink Charm daffodils, but received something else. These were white with a yellow throat...grew well and looked nice this year, but don't know if they will return reliably in my climate. Bottom line is that I did not receive what I ordered, so I have to give this company a negative.On April 19th, 2012, jdwhitaker26 changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:

Holland Bulb company graciously allowed me a credit for the money I spent on the daffodils that were the wrong variety. I am changing my review to positive...there was a simple error that was corrected. Company representative comment on April 18, 2012:On Apr 18, 2012 7:15 AM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for posting your feedback in regard to how the daffodils turned out. We are very sorry to hear that you received something different than what you ordered, and we can only say that it must have been an error while the item was being packaged. If you email us with your information we will gladly issue a replacement order or credit for the value of the Pink Charm Daffodils. Thanks again for your feedback!

I can't tell you about their customer service - no reason to deal with them - but I can tell you that the rhubarb plant I ordered (a jumbo crimson red) was everything they claimed, came in a timely manner, and arrived in great shape; already sprouted /growing.

The rhizome/bulb was larger than my hand measuring approx. 6" in length and was extremely healthy looking.

I had ordered the same type of rhubarb last year from Burgess (a mistake I will NEVER make again - All the plants I ordered from them arrived dead/moldy or shortly died thereafter; never had that problem with other companies except Jung) that when it arrived was approx. 1 1/2" in size, and died within a week. Plus I had had to wait on it for several weeks to arrive.

Posted on April 2, 2012, updated April 2, 2012
I ordered three Fritilaria bulbs from this company-aside from paying almost $30 for three bulbs and shipping-I planted them according to their directions-at an angle so as not to rot and waited for the temps to be cool enough. This spring two broke ground, one is now a foot tall-the other is about 4 inches tall the third a no show. I was told to wait for the plants to "catch up" what the heck does that mean. they are in the same area getting the same sun, planted at the same time. Catch up to what? is one going to have a growth spurt? Then I also got this as a response to my complaint:
"If you continue to have an issue with your fritilaria: please take photos of the plants, and if no plant -please unearth bulb to tell us of your findings. This information helps us for future issues and/or to what went wrong with yours"
ARE they kidding me? dig up a dead bulb & photo it and tell them its condition before I can get either a credit or new bulbs. They can keep their bulbs as well as their ridiculous policy regarding failures of their material. Will not spend another cent with them. I advise you all to not bother unless you like digging up dead bulbs.On April 2nd, 2012, plantgnome1 added the following:

Regarding a second email from Krista-which I found quite sarcastic: "Do you ever get credit or refunded from any store without bringing in the faulty or dead item? Or do you just bring in a reciept and complain and get money back? No."
First of all I didn't purchase a piece of clothing from you I purchased something put underground-I usually don't bury items I purchase other than bulbs-a live plant that didn't make it is easily located by dead branches. To ask a customer to dig up a bulb is ridiculous and I notice on Garden Watchdog-you ask other customers to do the same preposterous thing. Lastly-I sincerely doubt a critter dug up a Fritilaria-as I notice any squirrels steer clear of the entire area they were planted because of the smell. I really don't have the time or inclination to dig up a dead bulb to prove my truthfulness. So good luck with your business-I will not be giving you any more of mine.Company representative comment on April 2, 2012:On Apr 2, 2012 1:18 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Dear Valued Customer,

We are very sorry to hear your dissatisfaction with our policies and the fritillaria bulbs you ordered and planted from us last year. We hope we can offer a solution and explanation to the problems you are experiencing.
In regard to the growth rate of the 2 that are growing, this is a factor that we really don't have any control over. Since bulbs are living things they all grow at different rates, even if they are planted in the same growing conditions. I believe the representative you spoke with was trying to explain this, by saying that one of the bulbs will catch up to the others. Please understand that the growth rate is a factor that is beyond our or your control, is a factor of nature.
In regard to the bulb that has failed to sprout completely, we are sorry to hear this and know it really can have an affect on your garden. We often ask our customers to unearth bulbs to see what possibly happened to them. If they are mushy and soft they most likely received too much moisture. If they are disintegrated and crumbly they may have not received enough moisture, or experienced other issues prior to planting. If you dig in the area and nothing is there they could have been taken by some critters or completely rotted away. By knowing what happened to them we can help to prevent future problems on our end as well as the customers end.
In regard to our policies, the representative you were emailing with earlier today will be emailing you to offer a merchandise credit or refund. As your satisfaction is top priority to us and we really do not like to see someone like your self so frustrated and angry with our company and the results you experienced. We hope by offering a credit or refund we can change your opinion of us, and hope to do business with you again soon!

Sincerely,

Jennifer San Filippo
Operations Manager
Holland Bulb Farms

On Apr 2, 2012 1:50 PM, Holland Bulb Farms added:

Since posting our first rebuttal and hearing back from this customer. We have decided to issue a complete refund for the customers entire order, this is a refund to their credit card for all the products even the items that did grow. We hope this can bring a solution or resolution to this problem.

I had an extremely negative experience with this company.
I bought a new house and spent more than $600 on flowers with this complany which promised 100% grow guarantee.
Only few plants grew and only some of them survived the first season. I asked for replacements. They made me to dig dead bulbs and describe what happened to each one of them . I did, however replacement plants were never sent to me. I requested a refund and they refused to refund my money. Very rude customer survice. So as a result I have less than 10 flowers which cost me more than $600. Do not order from them.

Thank you for providing us your feedback and sharing your experience on Dave's Garden. Please remember we did refund $194 dollars to your credit card for the items we had on record that failed to grow plus we issued a $30.92 merchandise credit for items you stated failed to grow. We did require that you dig into the planting areas to see the condition of the bulbs, which we often require on warranty claims. The reason we require this information is so we find out more information about the planting location and find any clues as to why the items would have failed to grow. This information is very beneficial to us especially if you plan to order similar items and plant them in the same area, that way we can hopefully avoid the same problems in the future, we hope you do understand our reasoning behind this. We are sorry that you are still dissatisfied with our company, we did follow our 100% Grow guarantee when dealing with your account and various orders. We do respect all opinions and feedback from our past, present and future customers and wish you the best success with your gardening endeavor in the future!

HBF is a great company to order bulbs from! I am very impressed with their Customer Service staff's professional and fast service.
They really try to make it right, if a customer experiences any problems. I will purchase from HBF again, and would recommend this company to all my friends.Company representative comment on November 14, 2011:On Nov 14, 2011 3:37 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Dear Vivian

Thank you so much for your kind words! We are very happy to hear your positive feedback, and glad that you wanted to share this with the gardening world! We will keep up the good work and you make sure to keep digging in the dirt!

Yesterday, I received the package of bulbs and tubers that I had ordered from Holland Bulb Farms. I had purchased several tuberous begonias, calla lilies, stargazer lilies, and dahlias. They were carefully packed, and all of them were healthy, several already had shoots coming up. I am very pleased with my purchase.Company representative comment on November 14, 2011:On Nov 14, 2011 3:40 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We are happy to hear that you were satisfied with your purchase upon receiving these items! We hope this past summers blooms from the bulbs were just as rewarding!

I ordered about 150 gladiolus corms a couple of weeks ago, all of which look very nice. They are firm and domed, just like they should be and started poking through the ground in record time. I also ordered a jumbo bag of oriental lillies, all of which look fine. They are not enormous, but certainly adequate. Some had started to sprout about 3 inches, but that's OK, I got them way late in the season and they were super cheap. Shipping was fast from the time I ordered and correspondence was good. I will absolutely order from them every year and am now considering my fall order for spring blooming bulbs. I bet they have some great big fat daffodil and tulip bulbs. 100% satisfied. Thanks!Company representative comment on November 14, 2011:On Nov 14, 2011 3:53 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

Wow, it appears you are very happy with the gladiolus bulbs you received, your excitement makes us happy! We hope you were able to get your supply of fall planted goodies like daffodils and tulips from us if not there is still time left this year. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to continue to serve you in the future!

I order gladiolus bulbs that bloomed just beautifully. I liked the variety of color offered by Holland Farms that I could not find in the store: yellow/white center edged in purple. And, of course, the store offered great pricing--especially, if one waits until later in the season.

My only hesitation in purchasing more is that I could find similiar "deals" at my local garden center.

First off, this company is so easy to work with. I purchased over $80 worth of bulbs, and every single one of them came last fall looking healthy. Now that it is spring it has been a pure pleasure watching everything starting to peak through the ground.

The other thing that is fantastic about this company, are their prices. I had a LOT of ground to cover, so I really went for several of the "bargain bags", and have been pleasantly surprised by all the growth and how big the bulbs were when they came.

I placed an Internet order for the Double Begonia Collection from Holland Bulb Farms in Wisconsin on March 17, 2011 and received the bulbs on March 22nd. Thank you, Garden Watchdog and Holland Bulb Farms!

Absolutely the best shopping experience. When I called with a question, the staff is helpful and nice. Shipping is reasonable and fast. Have bought quite a number of items from them. Can't wait to see them bloom. Thanks Holland Bulb Farms.Company representative comment on November 14, 2011:On Nov 14, 2011 3:51 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We are glad we could help you with your questions, and provide fast and affordable shipping to you. Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with in the future! Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to supply you with many more bulbs in the future!

Posted on July 18, 2010, updated July 18, 2010
The best buying online bulb experience in over 15 years was with Holland Bulb Company. I ordered gladiolas and dahlias. People constantly want to come over and take photos of the flowers.

On July 18th, 2010, Emmylou10 added the following:

Holland Bulb Farms in Milwaukee, WI is the exact name of the company. I just found several "chocolate/wine" colored flowering gladiolas blooming. These were included in the variety packs. This is a color I have never seen before or anyone else that has looked at the flowers.Company representative comment on July 29, 2010:On Jul 29, 2010 2:16 PM, Holland Bulb Farms responded with:

We are so glad to hear your kind words about the Gladiolus and Dahlia bulbs you received from us! By the way the pictures you sent us of the Gladiolus bulbs are absolutely amazing...any time you want to send us pictures of your bulbs please do! We love to see the progress and how the bulbs turn out in our customers gardens and the joy it brings to them and us. Thanks again for your kind words!

Just received my second order from hbf. I bought dahlias and begonias on sale and the prices were great. However, the thing that amazes me is the speed of shipping. I ordered late Sunday night and received my order Wednesday morning. I really appreciate this kind of service. If these bulbs produce as good as they look I'm going to be very pleased.

I purchased from both this company and Park Seed. By far HollandBulbFarms product were much better quality (comparing perennials to perennials). I didn't order any Bulbs from ParkSeed so I can't compare the quality of those.

Also I will note that I placed my order on a Tuesday and received it by Friday when I got home from work. What a nice surprise that was!

Posted on October 27, 2009, updated March 31, 2010
I ordered 4 of those 12 packs of crocus bulbs. They came fairly quickly (sat over weekend at UPS, not the growers fault) and look all to be nice bulbs. Thankyou! I got them really cheap as part of their end of season clearance. Good deals!On March 31st, 2010, kentstar added the following:

Crocuses are coming up nicely and some blooming now! Gorgeous! Thankyou!

I placed an order with Holland Bulbs for some allium, tulips, and scilla. Of the entire order, only 1 tulip bulb was unusable and this was for one of the super cheap clearance items. Every other bulb was large for its size and healthy. This order shipped quickly. All in all, I was very pleased with the quality and health of the the bulbs and I will definitely be placing an order with them next year.

I ordered for the first time from Holland Bulb Farms about 3 weeks ago (9/28) . I also ordered from Breck's the same day. I received the bulbs from Holland Bulb Farms in about a week, placed another order because I was so happy with the service, quality and value. I received that order a few days ago.

My Breck's order still hasn't shipped.

Holland Bulb Farms will get all my future business! I highly recommend this company!

Holland Bulb Farms made a mistake with my order and then made it right. The quantity per package listed on their website was incorrect. I called them when I received my order. They admitted the error and shipped additional product at no charge to fill my order. They took care of everything for me with no hassle. Also, the bulbs I received were packaged nicely and look great. Based on this experience, I will order from Holland Bulb Farm in the future.

I've ordered several lilies from this company after seeing them being offered at a major discount in early May. Most of the bulbs were very healthy with 3-4" shoots already growing on them, but one of the variety was extremely overgrown with long spiral/circular stems, leaving me no option but to trying planting the bulbs upside down for the shoots to reach above the soil surface. I was concerned for the bulbs having exhausted so much energy growing stiff coiled shoots that were going nowhere. I've contacted the customer service about this issue, and they eventually worked with me on this issue - so kudos for them [Mel] standing by their products. However, I noticed that these are the same bulbs being offered at local supermarkets, with exactly same packaging. Holland Bulbs Farms certainly offers myriad more varieties than my local stores, but I would be cautioned to believe the 65% off discount promotion, as their discounted prices were about the same as the printed "retail" prices at the stores. Overall, I'd say this was a positive experience given that I got most varieties I wanted without having to drive around to find them, especially with the reasonable customer service.